1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a structure for assembling a vehicle interior lighting equipped with a cover for protecting a light source.
2. Description of the Related Art
In some vehicle interior lightings to be provided in vehicles, bulbs (electric bulbs) adopting filaments for light sources are employed (see; for instance, PTL 1).
FIG. 8 is an exploded perspective view of an existing vehicle interior lighting 501. The vehicle interior lighting 501 is equipped with a cover 507 as well as a design part 503 and a functional part 505 that are assembled into one. The design part 503, the functional part 505, and the cover 507 are fitted into an opening 511 made in an interior material 509 that is a mounting part, like an indoor ceiling of a vehicle. The design part 503 has a lens 515, a lock part 517, and a ceiling latch claw 519 that are all provided on a housing 513. Further, the functional part 505 is assembled integrally together with the housing 513. The lock part 517 has as a pair brackets 521 that oppose each other and latch projections 523 provided on inner side surfaces of the both brackets 521, wherein the brackets 521 possess flexibility that enable the brackets to bend to a certain extent to thereby broaden a spacing existing therebetween. The functional part 505 has a wire harness 525 and a mating lock part 527 that can be locked to the lock part 517.
The housing 513 is fitted from above and below into a frame-shaped roof trim 529 that assumes a convex shape toward a recess of the interior material 509. Specifically, the roof trim 529 is sandwiched between, from below, a bezel 531 making up an outer edge of the housing 513 as designated by a broken line and, from above, the ceiling latch claw 519 of the housing 513 and the functional part 505 to be secured to the housing 513. The vehicle interior lighting 501 is thereby attached to the interior material 509 in a removable manner.
The cover 507 exhibits a function of a reflector that reflects outgoing light from a light source 533 in a direction toward the lens 515 without leaking the light to the outside, and also exhibits dustproof, drip-proof functions, and the like, for the light source 533. The cover 507 is designed to protect the light source 533 of the functional part 505 from an external physical impact, in particular, when the vehicle interior lighting 501 is conveyed. The cover 507 is removably attached to the functional part 505. The cover 507 is retained by cover holding means 535 formed from a receiving groove that assumes a substantially-C-shaped geometry and that is formed in the housing 513.
The functional part 505 can be attached to the design part 503 while equipped with the cover 507 and has a geometry by means of which the functional part 505 passes through the opening 511. When the functional part 505 is attached to the mounting part of a vehicle by means of assembling operation, the cover 507 protects the light source 533, so that infliction of damage to the light source 533 and the neighborhood of the mounting part of the vehicle can be avoided.